Artificial lighting allows for a variety of activities to take place in the absence of sunlight, but also has an increasingly recognized range of negative social and health-related effects. For studies of urban ambient light at night (ALN), objective and standardized data on the amount of ALN experienced by people is often unavailable at the necessary intra-urban spatial scale. In this paper, we outline options for producing such data through (1) field observations acquired with a luminance meter mounted on a vehicle, (2) a 1-m resolution image mosaic produced from a dedicated aerial survey, and (3) a 50-m resolution image taken from the International Space Station. We produce two remote sensing-derived maps of ALN for a large urban area in Canada, and compare their spatial detail to the World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness, a publicly available alternative data source. Convergent validity with field observations suggests that both mapping approaches can be used to quantify the amount of light humans are exposed to at night, at different locations across a large urban area, and may thus aid in further studying the varied effects of artificial nighttime lighting.

Artificial lighting at night (ALAN) produced by urban, industrial, and roadway lighting, as well as other sources, has dramatically increased in recent decades, especially in coastal environments that support dense human populations. Artificial “lightscapes” are characterized by distinct spatial, temporal, and spectral patterns that can alter natural patterns of light and dark with consequences across levels of biological organization. At the individual level, ALAN can elicit a suite of physiological and behavioral responses associated with light-mediated processes such as diel activity patterns and predator-prey interactions. ALAN has also been shown to modify community composition and trophic structure, with implications for ecosystem-level processes including primary productivity, nutrient cycling, and the energetic linkages between aquatic and terrestrial systems. Here, we review the state of the science relative to the impacts of ALAN on estuaries, which is an important step in assessing the long-term sustainability of coastal regions. We first consider how multiple properties of ALAN (e.g., intensity and spectral content) influence the interaction between physiology and behavior of individual estuarine biota (drawing from studies on invertebrates, fishes, and birds). Second, we link individual- to community- and ecosystem-level responses, with a focus on the impacts of ALAN on food webs and implications for estuarine ecosystem functions. Coastal aquatic communities and ecosystems have been identified as a key priority for ALAN research, and a cohesive research framework will be critical for understanding and mitigating ecological consequences.

Artificial lighting at night has becoming a new type of pollution posing an important anthropogenic environmental pressure on organisms. The objective of this research was to examine the potential association between nighttime artificial light pollution and nest densities of the three main sea turtle species along Florida beaches, including green turtles, loggerheads, and leatherbacks. Sea turtle survey data was obtained from the “Florida Statewide Nesting Beach Survey program”. We used the new generation of satellite sensor “Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)” (version 1 D/N Band) nighttime annual average radiance composite image data. We defined light pollution as artificial light brightness greater than 10% of the natural sky brightness above 45 degrees of elevation (>1.14x10(-11) Wm(-2)sr(-1)). We fitted a generalized linear model (GLM), a GLM with eigenvectors spatial filtering (GLM-ESF), and a generalized estimating equations (GEE) approach for each species to examine the potential correlation of nest density with light pollution. Our models are robust and reliable in terms of the ability to deal with data distribution and spatial autocorrelation (SA) issues violating model assumptions. All three models found that nest density is significantly negatively correlated with light pollution for each sea turtle species: the higher light pollution, the lower nest density. The two spatially extended models (GLM-ESF and GEE) show that light pollution influences nest density in a descending order from green turtles, to loggerheads, and then to leatherbacks. The research findings have an implication for sea turtle conservation policy and ordinance making. Near-coastal lights-out ordinances and other approaches to shield lights can protect sea turtles and their nests. The VIIRS DNB light data, having significant improvements over comparable data by its predecessor, the DMSP-OLS, shows promise for continued and improved research about ecological effects of artificial light pollution.

Artificial lighting contributes greatly to developing civilizations. It allows daytime activities to continue throughout the dark hours of the day and thus increasing work productivity as well as allowing people to enjoy nighttime activities. In addition, artificial lighting is used to beautify landscapes, architectural monuments, and thus highlighting the social-economic development of a given place. However, excessive and improper usage of artificial lighting can lead to light pollution. Light pollution is a serious issue that is detrimental to human health. It has been linked to a number of health conditions including sleep disorder, visual discomfort as well as cancer. The effects of light pollution extend throughout the entire ecosystem, affecting both plants and animals. Furthermore, sky-glow from light pollution hinders astronomical observation. The current paper presents a study conducted on lit environment of a nightscape. The quality of the sky was measured in 144 spots using Sky Quality Meter (SQM) devices. The measured spots were chosen on the basis of land use as well as distance from the Halla Mountain.

Artificial nighttime lighting (light pollution) is increasing worldwide and may have undocumented consequences. In this study, we asked if artificial nighttime lighting affects the performance in monoculture of four grass species: the Eurasian Bothriochloa bladhii (Retz.) S.T. Blake (Poaceae), and Bothriochloa ischaemum (L.) Keng (Poaceae); and the North American Panicum virgatum (L.) (Poaceae), and Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash (Poaceae). We conducted a field pot experiment to test for the effects of artificial nighttime lighting and plant density on height, biomass, and leaf number. Height of the tallest individual per population was affected by separate interactions between species and density, light, and time. Final total biomass per individual biomass was increased under nighttime lighting, but more so at low density. Leaf number was increased by artificial nighttime lighting irrespective of species. These results suggest that artificial nighttime lighting may have previously undocumented influences on plant height, biomass, and leaf number within certain species. These findings warrant more in-depth studies into the role that artificial nighttime lighting can have on various plant species.